The invention concerns thermoregulated molds and tools with defined, fine-branched and point-focal interior heat-transferring conduit, process for their production, their use, process for thermoregulation of molds and tools and thermoregulating system. It relates to the field of thermoregulation of materials, components or the like. It can be utilized in those cases where the temperature of a mold, a component, or a material is controlled in a defined and uniform manner and, in particular, where heat must be drawn off.
Particularly appropriate is the application of the invention to shaping, particularly to the thermoregulation of molds and shaping tools, and to the thermoregulation of intensely heat-stressed components, e.g., for cooling of internal combustion engines. Accordingly, the application of the invention is particularly appropriate in plastics processing, metallurgy, and engine and automobile manufacturing. For the thermoregulation of molds and tools, particularly in plastics processing, channels or ducts are introduced into a shaping tool (for example, Menges, Georg "Instructions for the construction of injection molding tools" in Menges/Mohren--3rd completely reworked and expanded edition, Hanser Publishers Munich/Vienna, 1991 or DE 4,408,707 or "Cooling channels follow the contour of the mold part" in Zeitschrift Kunstoffe 87 (1997) 1, pages 36 to 37) and a heat-transferring medium is flushed through these channels. The molds and tools can be heated or cooled by means of the medium. For example, molds and tools are heated in the process of production of duroplastics, whereas tools are frequently cooled in the process of production of thermoplastics. Cooling of tools may also be used in aluminum diecasting.
Thermoregulation of molds and tools entails adjusting the temperature to a desired degree. This is accomplished by introducing a substance inside the mold or the tool. Thermal exchange between the mold or the tool and the substance results in a drop or increase of the mold's or the tool's temperature.
Due to limited manufacturing possibilities, existing thermoregulating systems can only achieve inhomogeneous thermoregulation, which frequently causes product defects. For example, inhomogeneous thermoregulation results in incomplete filling of molds in plastics processing. Another disadvantage of existing thermoregulating systems is their inability to shorten the thermoregulation cycle during the manufacturing process.